The effect of perceived social support on frailty and depression: A multicategorical multiple mediation analysis

• DOI: 10.1016/j.apnu.2022.07.012
• Publication Date: 2022-07-15T10:06:18Z
• Authors: Yanting Meng; Yang Luo; Jing Yue; Min Nie; Ling Fan; Ting Li; Chenxi Tong
• Keywords: Depression

The mediating effects of three sources of perceived social support on frailty severity and depression were examined. Conducted in rural China, data on 570 frail older women were studied. Results showed that significant others' support (mainly daughters) (β = 0.177 for frailty score = 3) mediated the relationship between frailty severity and depression, and the 95 % bias-corrected bootstrap confidence intervals did not straddle zero (0.013-0.419), while the mediating effects of family support (mainly sons) and friends support were not observed. Support from daughters contributes to frail mothers' mental health.